Sprinkler-head-controlling mechanism



March 30,1926. .7 0: M. F. SILVA SPRINKLER HEAD CONTROLLING MECHANISMFiled Jul 17 1924 16' A 1r y. 413 15 4E 4 fi m Inventor:

Patented Mar. 30, 1926.

MICHAEL F. SILVA, or BOSTON, ASSACHUSETTS.

SPRINKLER- HEAD-CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

Application filed. my 1 7, 1924. Serial No. 726,448.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MIGHAEL F. SILVA, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSprinkler-Head-Controlling lvllechanism, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to sprinkler heads and has for its object theprovision of means whereby said head may be openedat a pre determinedheat and after a limited time close a valve which will remain closeduntil a" greaterpredetermined heat permits the operation of mechanismwhich will again open said valve and permit the free passage of waterthrough said head' These objects are attained by the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawing.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, one preferred formthereof is illustrated in the drawings, this form having been found togive satisfactory and reliable results although it is to beunderstoodthat the various instrumentalities' of which the inventionconsists canbe variously arranged and organized and the invention is not limited tothe precise arrangement and organization of these ins'trumentalities asherein shown and described except as required by the scope of theappended claims.

Figure 1 represents atront elevation eta sprinkler head controllingdevice embodying the principles of the pres'entinvcntion.

Figure 2 represents a sideelevation ot the same.

same, on line 3, 3, on Fig. 2, and

the valve casing and valve, on line 4;, .4 on

Fig. 3.

Similar characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures ofthe drawings. v

In the drawings 10 is awater supply pipe having in the line thereof acoupling 11 pro vided with a branch 12 to which is threaded one end of avalve casing 13 to the opposite end of which is secured a -sprinklerhead 14: of usual construction. I r

The valve casing 13 has an oscillating valve plug 15 therein providedwith a diametrical passage 16, one end of which, is adapted, undernormal conditions, to register.

with the passage 17 in the sprinkler'head l t,

head 14a 1 I T The passage 15? in this head 14 is closed Figure 3represents a vertical section of 20, 2 1, normally 'nec'tor 22. A link22 of metal from the plate 20 tothe weight 2 5 and serves to insure thebreaking otthe joint between while the other end, at the same time, willge 18 in the branch 12 register with the 'passa of the pipe coupling 11.

p In other words under normal conditions the valve 15. is'open,permitting the water in, pipe 10 to treelyjfiowto the sprinkler bythemember l9 retainedin position by the plates 2), 21 connected'togetherby a fusible metal connection 22 which is adapted to -n'1elt at apredetermined heat and break the connection between the plates 20,21,thus pern'ntting the force of the. water in the pars sage 1i to removethe member 19 from its seat. 1 I V lVhcii'this member 19 is displacedthe.

water will be discharged from the passage 17 against the cup-shaped disk23 which will tob-esp'rayed in every; di-

cause said water rection.

It oftcn occurs that a slight tire will be suflicient to fuse the metalconnector 22 and cause the water to be discharged through the sprinklerhead and thus 'put'rout the tire.

.Under ordinary conditions, the water will i continue to be dischargedatter the tire is out With the consequence very much damage willbecaused by water and very little by fire. f

To prevent this unnecessary damage to property by water is the objectottlie present invention, and this desiredresult is z-ic comphshedby'the following mechanism;

To one end of the oscillating'valve plug I 15 is secured a lever2 ihaving a weight 25 at its outer end, this weight'being normally inraised position and slightly oilf center as shown in the drawings;

The lever. 24 when in its normal position rests upon a pin 26 ot fusiblemetal which prevents the accidental dropping-of the lever 2e and weight25 due to the jarringoi? niachineryin the building equipped with thesprinkler system.

This pin 26 is made; of metal which will fuse at apredetermined,heat'slightly greater than that at which the metal,connector 22 will fuse orit" may be madev to "melt at the sametemperature as that whicl 'will melt the metalconnector22 and releasethe plates connected by said co1inot fusible extends the plates 20, 21when the connector 22 has been fused and the weight 25 has been releasedby the fusing of the pin 26 in case. said joint is not broken when theconnector 20 is first fused.

As a consequence when an incipient fire is started and the metal 22 isfused the sprinkler head will operate to discharge water thereon for alimited period of time and then the heat will fuse the pin 26 andrelease the lever permitting said lever in its movement to rotate thevalve plug 15 until the passage 16 therein is'perpendicular to thepassages 17 and 18. At this time the lever 2d will rest upon anotherfusible pin 27 extending from the valve casing The-oscillating valveplug 15 will at this time be closed and if the incipient fire has beenextinguished the valve 15 will remain closed and no more water can bedischarged from the sprinkler 14, thereby saving considerable propertydamage from water.

The pin 27 is fused at a still greater heat and if the fire is notextinguished at the first discharge of water and gets under headway theincreased heat will fuse this pin 27 and release the lever 24 so that itcan drop into a vertical position anl in so doing again open the valve15 permitting a continuous flow of water from the sprinkler until thefire has been extinguished and the water supply to pipe is cut off.

One end of the oscillating valve plug has a flat face against which ispositioned a friction'disk 28 which is pressed into contact with saidface by the threaded closure .29. This closure maybe adjusted to createthe necessary'frietion upon the oscillating valve plug 15 to retard thelowering of the weight thereby regulating time the sprinkler head willoperate before the valve 15 is closed.

By means of this mechanism a given amount of water may be dischargedupon an incipient fire before the supply is out off and insuficient toez itin'guish the fire a if this further and continuous: supply of watermay be discharged on the fire.

It is believed that the operation and many advantages of the inventionwill be fully apparent without further description;

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim p V 1. Tie combination of asupply pipe;- a sprinkl r head tlie'refo'r having a fusible connectionadapted to be released at a predetermined heat to open said head avalveinterposed between said pipe and head and normally open; andautomaticmeans;- for closingsaid-valve after the sprinkler head has beenopened, said means including a weighted arm secured to said valve'normal-ly off center and adapted tom'ove downwardly.

2-. The combination of a supply pipe a sprinkler headthcreferl ia ving afus-i-ble-eonnection adapted to be released at a predetermined heat'toopen said head; a valve interposed between said pipe and head andnormally open; and automatic means including a weighted arm which isadapted to move downwardly and in its downward movement first close saidvalve after the sprinkler head has been opened and then open said valveby a continuation of its downward movement.

3. The combination'of a supply pipe; a sprinkler head therefor having afusible connection adapted to be released at a predetermined heat toopen said head; a valve interposed between said pipe and head andnormally open; a weight for moving said valve to close it and againopen-it; means connected to said sprinkler head forretaining said weightin raised position and adapted to be released at a predetermined heat;-and other means for stopping said weight when the valve is closed saidmeans being fusible at a greater heat thereby permitting furtherdownward movement ot the weight and the reopening of the valve.

at. The combination of a supply pipe; a sprinkler head therefor adaptedto be opened at a predetermined heat; a valve interposed between saidpipe and head and normally open; a weight for moving said valve to closeit and by its continued movement again open said valve; a fusible memberconnected to said sprinkler head for retaining said weight in raisedposition and adapted to be fused at a predetermined heatand release saidweight thereby permitting the closing of said valve iand another fusiblemenrber to stop the downward movement of said weight when said valve'hasbeen closed; said member being adapted to; be fused-at a greater heatthereby permitting further downward movement of the weight and thereopening of the valve.

5. The combination of a supply pipe a sprinkler head therefor adapted tobe opened at a predetermined heat a valve interposed between said-pipeand head and norn'ia'lly open; a weight for moving said valve to closeit and by its continued m'oven'ient again open said valve fusible meansconnected to said sprinkler head for retaining said weightin raisedposition with said valve open and adapted when fused to release saidweight to permit the closing of said valve a fusible member to stop thedownward movement of said weight when said valve has been closed:

and means for retarding the rotation of said valve.

6 The combination of. a supply pipe;- a

sprin ler head having a passage therethror 1; a closing memberfor saidpassage;

two plates fused together to retain said member iii-closing positionpavalve for closing said-passage and normally in open position; av isssees ta a tu tes d- ."l -i means between said plates and said arm forretaining said arm in raised position with said valve open and adaptedto be released when the connection between said plates is fused; andmeans in the path of said arm for limiting the downward movement of saidarm when the valve has closed and adapted to permit the further downwardmovement of said arm to again open the valve when an excessivetemperature has been reached.

7. The combination of a supply pipe; a sprinkler head having a passagetherethrough; a closing member for said passage; two plates fusedtogether to retain said member in closing position; a valve for closingsaid passage; automatic mechanism for actuating said valve meansconnected with said plates for retaining said mechanism in inoperativeposition with the valve open and adapted to be released by the fusing ofthe connection between said plates; and fusible means for stopping saidmechanism when the valve is closed and adapted to release'said mechanismto permit the valve to open again when said stopping means has beenfused.

S. The combination of a supply pipe; a sprinkler head having a passage.therethrough; a closing member for said passage; two plates fusedtogether to retain said member in closing position; avalve for closingsaid passage and normally in open positron; a weighted arm for actuatingsaid valve; a member for retaining said arm in raised position with saidvalve open and adapted to be fused at a predetermined heat;

and another member in thepath of said arm for limiting the downwardmovement of .said arm when the valve has closed and adapted to fuse at atemperature than said predetermined heat. 7

9. The combination of a supply pipe; a

greater sprinkler head having a passage therethrough; a'closing memberfor said passage; two plates fused together to retain said member inclosing position; an oscillating valve for closing said passage" havingan opening therethrough adapted to aline with said passage at thebeginning and ending of its movement and be at right angles to saidpassage at any intermediate point; a weighted arm secured to said valve;fusible means for normally retaining said arm in raised position withthe valve open and releasing it when a predetermined heat has beenreached and said means has been fused; and a fusible memberfor stoppingsaid arm in i'ts down-,

ward movement at said intermediate point and releasing said arm topermit further downward movement thereof when the temperatureexceedssaid predetermined heat.

10. Theeombination of a supply pipe; a sprinkler head having a passagethere, through; a ClOSiIlg member for said passage;

two plates fusedtogether to retain said inem-i her in closing position;an oscillating valve for closing said passage and movable through lessthan a half revolution with an opening therethrough alined with said.pas-- sage at each end of its movement; a welghted arm foractuatingsaid valve; means connected with said plates for retaining saidarm 1n raised posltion with the valve open and adapted to be released bythe fusing off i the connection between said plates; and fusible meansfor stopping said arm when the valve is closed and adapted to releasesaid arm to permit the valve to open again when said stop'pingmeanshasbeen fused.

Signed by me at M6 Old South Bldg, Boston, Massachusetts,'this 11th dayof July, 1924-; s

i MICHAEL F. SILVA.

